Spacer frame for sealed glass units

ABSTRACT

A spacer frame is disclosed having a polygonal, preferably mainly square frame where the frame surrounds glass panes of a sealed glass window unit by forming an upper and a lower horizontal part, at least two side parts, all of which form at least one linear listing or frame. The frame additionally has corresponding asymmetric corner keys and symmetric corner keys, each having legs. The upper horizontal part of the spacer frame preferably has a design which facilitates installation of a mechanism for a blind or pleated sheet which can be fixed underneath the spacer frame thereby hanging between respective panes of the sealed glass unit. The asymmetric corner-keys are connected with one leg to spacer elements and the other leg to the upper horizontal spacer listing elements which has two profile elements. In connection with the spacer element permanent magnets are located in two identical sets positioned on each side of an inner glass pane of the sealed unit. One set of magnets is positioned between the glasses in a holding unit, and one set of corresponding magnets with converse polarity is placed outside the holding unit. Associated with such magnets there is provided a gear assembly for moving and controlling the blind or pleated sheet in a sealed manner between the glass panes of the window.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a special assembly for a spacer frame forsealed glass units such as windows, isolation glass windows, thermoglasswindows etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The spacer frame according to the invention comprises a number ofconstituent parts making a polygonal, preferably mainly square framewhere the frame surrounds the glass panes of the window by forming anupper and a lower horizontal part, at least two side parts, all of whichcomprise at least one linear listing or frame, as well as acorresponding corner keys. The upper horizontal part of the spacer-framehas a design which facilitates an installation of a mechanism for ablind. The blind is fixed underneath the spacer-frame, and will therebybe hanging in-between the glasses of the sealed glass unit.

The invention will be more closely disclosed infra with reference to thefigures wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an assembly of a spacer frame.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the sealed glass unit according to theinvention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the open spacer part 6 from FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross section of the U-shaped profile element of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an asymmetric corner key.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the lower element of the upperhorizontal part shown in FIG. 1 and depicting a slot and a hole in thelower element.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an end plug.

FIG. 8 is a right end elevational view of the end plug of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a left end elevational view of the end plug of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a cross section of the profile elements of FIG. 1 incooperative engagement.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a corner of a sealed glass unit.

FIGS. 12a-12 d are, respectively, a front elevational view, a right sideelevational view, a top plan view and a bottom plan view of anasymmetrical corner key.

FIG. 13 is a cross-section of the plug of FIG. 7 in an installedposition in the profile elements of FIG. 1 assembled in cooperativeengagement.

FIGS. 14-15 are a sectional view and a side elevational view,respectively, of the end plug of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 16a-16 c are, respectively, an end elevational view of an upperelement, an end elevational view of the upper and lower elements of FIG.1 assembled in cooperative engagement, and an end elevational explodedview of an alternative embodiment of the upper element with the lowerelement.

FIG. 17 is a top plan view of holding units for a cooperating pair ofpermanent magnets assembled on opposite sides of a glass pane.

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of the inner holding unit of FIG. 17 coupledto a control mechanism for a blind.

FIG. 19 is elevational view of a disk carrying pairs of permanentmagnets having opposite polarities.

FIG. 20 is an elevational view of a cooperating pair of disks of FIG. 19on opposite sides of a glass pane.

FIG. 21 is a top plan view of the outer holding unit of FIG. 17 coupledto an electric motor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The components of the spacer frame have the following reference numbers:Reference number 1 relates to cornerkeys of the frame forming an anglewith two legs wherein both the legs are symmetric. Reference number 2relates to listing-formed spacer elements connected at least one endthereof to the corner-keys 1. Reference number 3 relates to asymmetriccorner-keys connected with one leg to the spacer elements 2. The otherleg of the asymmetric corner-keys 3 are connected to upper horizontalspacer listing elements comprising two profiles with the referencenumbers 5 and 6. The spacer elements 2 are used in the two vertical andthe lower horizontal side of a rectangular spacer-frame. One of theupper horizontal profiles 5 has a U-shaped profile, and this spacerelement is used as a base for a mechanism for a blind.

The assembly according to the present invention requires the use of twodifferent types of corner keys to make a rectangular spacer-frame, i.e.the symmetric corner-keys 1 and the asymmetric corner-keys 3. Theasymmetric corner-key 3 is one of the main elements of the presentinvention, and such asymmetric elements makes it possible to assemble acorner where the U-shaped spacer element 5 and the closed spacer element2 are joined without having the inner part of the spacer element 5 beingfilled of the corner key.

Referring to FIG. 2, the reference numbers have the following meanings:

The reference number 2 relates to a closed spacer unit. The referencenumber 8 relates to a sealing material, e.g. a non-vulcanizing rubber“butyl” which is located between glass pane 7 and the closed spacerelement 2. The sealing material 8 is to provide a substantially tightsealing for air and moisture between the glass 7 and the closed spacerelement 2. The sealing material 8 is accordingly of a non-vulcanizingtype which remains sticky over an indefinite period of time.

The closed spacer element 2 is especially designed with two inwardlyextending corners 9. The inwardly pointing corners 9 will form a spacefor a reservoir for excess sealing material 8 which might be squeezedout from between the spacer element 2 and the glass 7 when the glasspanes 7 are pressed against the spacer element 2. The excess sealingmaterial 8 will be kept in the location provided by the corners 9 andthe glass 7. The sealing material 8 will thus not penetrate into therectangle formed by the two glass panes 7 and the inner side of thespacer 2.

It is important that the area between the two glass panes 7 and thespacer element 2 is kept free for sealing material since the slats of afree-hanging blind inside the sealed unit according to the inventionwill stick to any sealing material which is present and overflowingoutside of the above described area 9 when the window with the glassunit is operated and the blind is put in motion. This is a typicalproblem for some prior types of sealed units with a built-in blind.

Providing the spacer frame for a sealed glass unit with corner elementsas disclosed supra is previously not known. The objective of the cornerelement is to prevent sealing material from appearing inside thelight-opening of the sealed unit and thereby causing contact between theslats of the blind lying between the window panes of the sealed unit.

Referring now to FIG. 3, spacer element 6 comprises two legs 13 with asnapping action and comprising protruding and/or recessed elements, e.g.one or more grooves 11 on its inside. Such grooves cooperates andcorresponds to similar recessed and/or protruding elements 14 located onthe outside of the U-shaped profile 5 shown in FIG. 1 and incross-section in FIG. 4. The two profile elements 6 and 5 may beassembled by snapping the grooves 11,14 together and thereby forming aclosed profile. The profile assembly is shown in cross section in FIG.10.

A novel trait according to the present invention is providing anopportunity to make a closed spacer assembly formed by two open profiles5 and 6, for a sealed glass unit.

Furthermore, it is a goal for the present to obtain a profile for asealed glass unit comprising two parts 5,6 which have been snappedtogether and which form a closed spacer unit which is suitable and whichhas sufficient room for installing a mechanism for a blind.

Referring to FIG. 4, U-profile 5 comprises a spacer bed 15 and twospacer legs 16. At the upper end of the spacer legs 16 there is providedan inward oriented groove 17. This groove 17 secures components fixedinside the spacer 15 and secures them in the correct position in thespacer preventing them from falling out of the spacer. On the outer sideof the legs 16 is the snapping groove 14 for snapping the two profiles 5and 6 together as disclosed supra.

When a U-shaped spacer element 5 is cut into the correct length to fitinside a sealed unit, there is, as shown in FIG. 6, punched out arectangular slot 20 in each end of the element. This rectangular slot isrequired for assembling the U-formed spacer element 5 and the corner key3.

Referring to FIG. 5, one leg 17 of the key is to be located inside theclosed spacer element 2. The shape of the corner key 3 is especiallydesigned, as is shown in FIG. 12, to fit into the closed spacer element2. The other leg 18 of the corner key 3 is provided with a number oflengthwise running grooves 19. When the leg 18 is installed into theU-shaped spacer element 5, the leg 18 is pressed into the leg 15 of theU-shaped profile 5 in such a way that the grooves 19 on the leg 18 isembracing a section of the spacer-bed 15 which is to be found on eachside of the punched-out area 20. This part of the spacer-bed is giventhe reference number 22. Two fins 23 on the edge of the groove 19 willprovide a resistance between the leg 18 and the spacer bed 15 whichprevents the corner key 3 from dropping out from the spacer element 5.

The corner key 3 is assembled with the upper horizontal spacercomprising the two profiles 5, 6 pressing the corner key 3 onto the endof the profile 5 in such a way that the edges 22 on the profile 5 fitsinto the groove 19 in the corner key 3.

One of the inventive features of the present invention is such anassembly of a corner key and a spacer unit, where the inner part of thespacer unit is not fitted by the leg of the corner key.

As shown in FIG. 6, a hole 21 is preferably drilled at each end of thespacer element 5. This hole 21 is to be used to fix an end plug 4 intoposition, as shown in FIG. 1. This also represents a novel aspect of thepresent invention, i.e. assembling a spacer and a corner key, where thecorner key is fixed to one side of the spacer and is not filling theopen space inside the spacer element.

The plugs 4 are shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 14 and 15. The plug 4 comprisesfour wings 24. The two lower wings 24 have a designed part 25 made tofit between the sides 16 of the U-profile 5 and the bed 15 in theU-shaped spacer element 5. The two upper wings 24 have a shape to fit inunderneath the upper part of the U-formed profile element 5, and theyare kept in position by the grooves 17 on the U-shaped spacer element 5.On one side of the plug 3 there is a circular plug 27 which fits intothe hole 21 on the U-shaped spacer element 5.

The plug 27 prevents the plug 4 from moving when fitted inside theU-shaped profile element 5. On the outer end of the plug 4 is a groove30. This groove 30 is provided with the male part of an electricconnector. This system facilitates an easy connection of electric powerto a motor built inside the sealed unit. This constellation between anelectric connector and a plug in the spacer is novel and represents apart of the present invention,

The construction of the sealed glass unit disclosed supra makes theproduction of such units easier since no loose electric cables hangingaround when the sealed glass unit is to be manufactured.

The plug 4 is preferably to be manufactured in a synthetic material.Synthetic materials have a good adhesion to sealant materials normallyused in sealed glass units.

Direct connection between the synthetic material, the plug and thesealant should therefore be avoided.

Referring to FIG. 11, a sectional view of a corner of a sealed unitassembly depicting a corner of the sealed unit where the referencenumber 36 is used for the glass pane, the reference number 35 is usedfor the sealant which glues the glass to the spacer element, thereference numbers 5 and 6 show the U-profile elements when they are in asnapped-together configuration, the reference number 2 shows the closedspacer element, and 4 is the reference number for the plug. Thereference number 32 depicts a short aluminum tube with external threads,and which is screwed into the synthetic material in the groove 28. Thereference number 33 shows a sealing material between the plug 4 and thealuminum pipe 32.

As the tube 32 reaches outside the end of the plug 4, the sealant willwork between the glass and the tube 32, and not between the glass andthe synthetic plug 4. The adhesion exists accordingly between thealuminum tube 32 and the glass being materials which both have excellentadhesion properties to the sealant.

Referring to the FIGS. 17-21, a preferred and optional operation of theblind may also be done by using permanent magnets in two identical setspositioned on each side of the inner glass pane 53 of the sealed unit.One set of magnets is positioned in-between the glasses in a holdingunit 51, and one set of corresponding magnets with converse polarity isplaced on the outside of a holding unit 52, as shown in FIG. 17. Twosets of magnets 51,52 are positioned exactly opposite each other on eachside of the glass, and it will be disclosed infra how the operationforce can be transferred through the glass.

The “set” of magnets is designed as a disk 54 as shown in FIG. 19.Circular magnets 55 are located along the edge of the disk 54. Thenumber of magnets 55 is preferably an even number, i.e. 2, 4, 6, 8 etc.The north poles and the south poles on the magnets are preferablyalternatively facing upwards and downwards as shown in FIG. 19 and 20.

FIG. 20 shows the inner glass pane of the sealed unit 53, the innerholding disc 56 with magnets 55, and the outer holding disc 57 withcorresponding magnets 55. For better understanding the two discs 56, 57have been “pulled away” from the glass. When the two discs 56, 57 are inposition on the glass, the north pole of a magnet on the external sideof the glass 57 will face the south pole on a magnet on the internalside of the glass 56.

If the external disc 57 is put into rotation, the magnetic force betweenthe magnets 55 on the two discs 56, 57 will force the internal disc 56to rotate. The positioning of the magnets 55 will at the same time givea “pulling” force from the opposite magnet on the other disc, and a“pushing” force on the neighbouring/adjacent magnet on the other disc.

In order to maximise the transferred operating force for the blind, thediscs 56, 57 shall preferably rotate with the highest possible speed.The assembly comprises accordingly two gearboxes, i.e. an internal andan external gearbox. The external gearbox 61 (see FIG. 21) connects themagnetic disc 52 and a cord wheel 64 on which the operating cord (forthe blind) 62 runs via a set of toothed wheels or sprockets 63 in such away that the transfer ratio of the gearbox is approximately 4:1. Theinternal gearbox is fitted inside the special spacer element whichcontains the lifting/lowering mechanism for the blind.

The internal gearbox 65 (see FIG. 18 and 21) connects the magnetic disc51 to an operating shaft 67 of the lifting mechanism of the blind via aset of toothed wheels/sprockets 66 in such a way that the speed ratio ofthe internal gearbox will be approximately 1:8 of the speed of therotating disc. The sprocket 66 is directly connected to the operatingshaft 67 for the lifting mechanism of the blind.

The external gearbox is glued to the surface of the glass. Thedifference is ratios on the two gearboxes gives a total exchange ratiofor the system which improves the lifting force of the magnetic system,and ensures an easy operation of the blind.

There exist several advantages in using a magnetic system when operatingan integrated venetian or pleated blind.

There will be no penetration of the sealant on the edge of the sealedunit. This ensures a long lifetime of the sealed unit, since any andevery penetration of the sealant is a risk for a puncture.

The operating mechanism is fitted on the surface of the glass.Accordingly it is not necessary to make any adjustment or mechanicalalterations on the window frame/sash when fitting a unit with anintegrated blind.

The construction of the spacer frame according to the invention isdisclosed supra with reference to a special embodiment depicted in thefigures accompanying the application. However, the scope of theinvention is not to be construed as being founded in the above mentionedembodiment, but rather through the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A spacer frame for an isolation glass for windowsthat includes glass panes that surround the spacer frame, the spaceframe comprising: an upper and a lower horizontal part, said upper andlower horizontal parts forming distancing elements in the spacer frame;at least two side parts; a plurality of upper asymmetrical corner keyseach having a first leg connected to one of said at least two side partsand a second leg connected to said upper horizontal part; and lowercorner keys connected between said side parts and said lower buildingpart; wherein said upper horizontal part further comprises two separateelements, an upper element and a lower element which are removablyconnected to each other; wherein when each of said upper asymmetricalcorner keys are secured to said upper horizontal part, said asymmetricalcorner key does not fill an open space defined between said upper andlower elements of said upper horizontal part.
 2. The spacer frameaccording to claim 1, wherein one of said upper and lower elements ofsaid upper horizontal part has a U-formed profile.
 3. The spacer frameaccording to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of asymmetricalcorner keys and the upper horizontal part form a securing point for theregulating mechanism for the blind.
 4. The spacer frame according toclaim 1, further comprising a sealant located between a glass pane andat least one of said at least two side parts and said lower horizontalpart.
 5. The spacer frame according to claim 1, wherein each of saidclosed spacer elements further comprises at least two inwards protrudingedges.
 6. The spacer frame according to claim 1, wherein said upperelement of said upper horizontal part further comprises two legs eachleg of said upper element comprising one or more grooves on an insidethereof, said grooves interlocking with and corresponding to similargrooves located on an outside of said lower element of said upperhorizontal part.
 7. The spacer frame according to claim 1, wherein: saidlower element of said upper horizontal part further comprises twoupwardly extending legs, each upwardly extending leg having an inwardlyfacing flange located on an upper end thereof, said flanges forsecuring, in a correct position, a plurality of components that can beplaced inside said lower element whereby the components are preventedfrom falling out of said lower element.
 8. The spacer frame according toclaim 1, wherein said first leg of each said asymmetrical corner keyfits inside one of said at least two side parts, and said second leg ofeach said asymmetrical corner key further comprises a number ofelongated grooves.
 9. The spacer frame according to claim 1, wherein:said lower element of said upper horizontal part further comprises ahorizontal transverse member, said transverse member having a lateraledge at each axial end thereof, each said lateral edge comprising firstand second tongues, each of said first and second tongues having alateral edge and an axial edge, said axial edges of corresponding pairsof said first and second tongues defining a notch centrally disposedtherebetween; and said second leg of each of said upper asymmetricalcorner keys further comprises a number of elongated grooves; wherebyeach of said upper asymmetrical corner keys is connected to one axialend of said lower element by slidingly engaging said axial edge of eachof said first and second tongues in corresponding ones of said number ofelongated grooves.
 10. The spacer frame according to claim 1, furthercomprising: a plug having two radially extending lower wings and tworadially extending upper wings, each lower wing having a foot connectedto a radially extending end thereof, and each upper wing having an axialaligned groove in a radially extending end thereof; wherein said lowerelement of said upper horizontal part includes upwardly extending legs,whereby said lower wings of said plug fit between the upwardly extendinglegs of said lower element, and said groove in each of said upper wingsfits under a corresponding inwardly facing flange disposed at an upperend of a corresponding one of said upwardly extending legs, said plugbeing held thereby.
 11. The spacer frame according to claim 1, furthercomprising: a plug having an outer end comprising a groove said groovehaving a male part of an electrical connector disposed therein forconnecting electrical power to a motor that can be disposed inside theupper horizontal part.
 12. The spacer frame according to claim 1,wherein the upper horizontal part further comprises: a securing partwhereby a blind can be secured under the spacer frame; and at least twoend parts comprising a part of a regulating mechanism for the blind. 13.The spacer frame according to claim 1, wherein said at least two sideparts and said lower horizontal part each comprise a closed spacerelement.
 14. The spacer frame according to claim 1, wherein said upperand lower elements have corresponding profiles.
 15. The spacer frameaccording to claim 1, wherein said lower corner keys are symmetrical.